Catch the Change – and tell its stories!

Between the small and the big stories of life, our culture grows along the wayside. Most of the stories that reach us through television, newspapers, in schools or universities, are about the empty and worn ideas of happiness. The bestsellers remain: freedom through career, self-realization through consumption and endless growth. But on our way we also meet people who encourage us and inspire us. And for a little while they let us throw a look beyond this horizon.

With this call starts the project “Catch the Change” run by the “Stories of Change” initiative. From now on Dresden’s stories of change – short mobile videos about citizens who change the town towards a sustainable city – can be uploaded via the website www.stories-of-change.org. Any change-story will be published on the web. In a public screening the audience selects three submissions for a professional production. The premiere will take place within the Umundu Festival in October.

The focus is on the stories of change, not on the quality of the clips. Whether Neighbourhood Initiative, Community Garden, Repair Café, sustainability or integration initiative, everyone can participate and every idea counts:

“Any change that makes our city more sustainable and future-oriented, is of interest to us”

so Sascha Kornek, spokesman for the initiative.

How such a mobile phone clip can look, shows the team of Stories of Change by taking “Ecke Nord” (North Corner – a neighborhood shop selling local and organic products) as an example:

“Catch the Change” is part of ARTS research project. For the contest partnering the Sukuma e.V., the Transition Town initiative “Dresden im Wandel” and the local ARTS project partner IÖR. It shall visualize and honor the many contributions of the citizens of Dresden to a sustainable and liveable city. It should serve others as a source of motivation and inspiration to make their daily lives and their city sustainable. As a media partner, the Dresden culture magazine and Dresden television have already been won.

A new vision of our city that is shaped by its citizens is created here.

Hi, my name is Soeren and I am a marketing and communication professional with a strong dedication for Social Entrepreneurship and the REconomy approach. I'm one of three bloggers for the ARTS region Dresden, Germany. Before I came to Dresden I lived and worked in different German cities. I travelled around the world for 9 month. I was co-founder of a Social Business Startup in Berlin and a coworking initiative in Dresden and I discoverd my passion for researching and fostering Social Business Models. On my personal website http://s8ren.de you will find different projects and initiatives in wich I'm involved.